


Oddity

by Little_Stargazer



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-08-01 14:46:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16286561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Stargazer/pseuds/Little_Stargazer
Summary: Messy hair and stubborn eyes successfully stole his breath away, while the uniquely colored Charizard only caught his attention more. She had quite literally fallen into his world, and Alain wasn’t sure what to make of her. Though, sometimes the strangest meetings made for the best ones.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

 

A pleasant breeze caressed her face, and she let out a pleased sigh. She closed her eyes and curled her arms a bit more securely around the thick neck of the beast she rode upon.

The wind whipped through her long hair, leaving it a windswept mess of dark curls and twirls.

She adored soothing days like this.

The wind passed by quicker than before, and she shot her eyes open with a startled gasp. The light blue sky approached faster and faster, and a laugh fell from her lips as her Charizard, affectionately nicknamed Cheri flew around a few times in circles.

She laughed harder after giving a sound akin to a squeal. Her joy was short-lived, however, as her hold on her Pokemon began to grow slack. A small whisper of “Uh-oh,” came from her before she lost the contact completely.

A shriek bubbled up and out of her throat as she fell through the air, her body having no other choice than to go down now that her support was suddenly gone. She was in no real danger, or else Cheri would have already swooped around and caught her, and Kagome only had a moment to take a breath. She hit a lake of water with a medium-sized splash, resurfacing a few seconds after landing a sputtering mess.

She brushed the ink-black strands from her face as she made her way to the shore, and she could hear the amused roar of Cheri. She began to laugh as well, long since used to the way she would shake her off on purpose mid-flight.

She wrung out her hair as she pulled herself from the water, twisting and fiddling away with her sure-to-tangle locks as she did so. A quick lookover of the area she had landed in alerted her to the fact that she had not landed in an empty area.

Her eyes met a pair of blue that were significantly darker than her own, and she nearly halted all movement. She stopped messing with her hair and crossed her arms over her chest to retain some of her modesty by covering the white shirt she wore.

Cheri landed on a spot of rocks, and Kagome averted her gaze from the unfamiliar male.

“I wonder when you’ll get tired of doing that to me,” she shot at the uniquely colored creature, and she received an amused grumble in return. She ended up taking that as meaning it wouldn’t happen anytime soon, and she shook her head. Droplets of water fell from the ends of her tangling hair. She could hear the soft sound of them dripping onto the rocks she clambered up on to fully remove herself from the water.

Kagome adjusted her red jacket so it fully covered her front, and she finally turned back to the male there to give him a once-over.

She had never been interested in the physical attractiveness of other people, but she could admit he certainly had some good looks.

Short black hair that was about as messy as her own, and blue eyes that were much darker in hue than her own. He had a nice face, too.

Kagome gave a laugh and held a hand up.

“Sorry to just drop in like that.”

 


	2. Chapter 1

She had set herself on a rock after changing out of her soaked clothing behind a tree, and she now attempted to dry out her thick locks before they could tangle any more than they already had. The brush she had been pulling through her hair got stuck in the mass of blue-black, and she let her arms lower for a moment as she focused her attention on the boy sitting with her.

She looked over at the Charizard he had as his companion, and she noted the collar secured around its neck, or more so the stone held within the metal. Kagome glanced back towards him. “Mega Evolution, eh?” she asked him, those words from her being the first since she had come back dressed in different clothing. “You’re one of the few that I’ve run into that use it since I got to Kalos.”

“Are you…?” He seemed to jolt up a bit at her words, and she cocked her head to the side as observed him.

She blinked at his question before glancing away from him. “Mm, nah,” she responded with a shrug before she resumed attempting to brush out her hair. “Anyway, I’m not much of a battler. I’m more into the traveling aspect of being a trainer.” The brush was yanked from her hair, which resulted in her giving a loud hiss before she started pulling it through the drying strands.

“Your Charizard is… I don’t think I’ve ever seen a naturally black Charizard before,” he commented, and he let his attention swap from the girl to the Charizard that had placed herself close to the ravenette.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Kagome responded. “Pokemon that have unnatural colors compared to the rest of their species are usually tossed from the nest due to how much more likely they are to attract potential predators. They often get picked off before anyone ever sees them...” She lowered her brush before glancing back at her Charizard. “I found Cheri when she was still a baby, and we’ve grown together since she’s been at my side.” Kagome looked back at the boy with her, a smile shining on her face. “I don’t think we ever exchanged names, now that I think about it…” she trailed off before shaking her head. “My name is Kagome. What about you?”

“Alain.” came his response. 

“I like that name,” she commented as she turned her attention up to the sky. A second later, Cheri let out a rumble, and Kagome had shot up from where she was sitting. She grabbed her now-dry clothing and shoved them back into her bag before looking back at Alain. “It kinda sucks, but I gotta get going now. I have some things I need to do, and I can’t get behind on them, but it was great to meet you~!” 

“Ah… you too,” Alain watched as she slung her bag over her shoulder and clambered up over a few jagged rocks to reach the Charizard she had appeared with. She flicked her hand in a wave as she climbed atop her back.

“Maybe we’ll see each other around!”

He nodded in response to her words, and he lifted his own hand in a wave towards the girl. The next second she disappeared from sight, and he was left as he had been before she had arrived.

She was something different. She had fallen from the sky without fear, only to emerge from a lake while laughing. 

He didn’t know much about her, aside from her name and her black Charizard, so he wasn’t certain they would ever run into one another again, but the possibility was still there, he guessed.

* * *

 

It was a while after meeting the odd girl that he met Mairin. Just as he had assumed before, the odds of them running into one another at random was unlikely.

Mairin was the exact opposite of the ravenette, and she insisted on following behind him. He found himself getting a bit used to the excited nature and excessive chatter she often displayed.

He had arrived in Hoenn with Mairin still following behind him, and it was there that he found himself running into the strange girl from before. Their meeting wasn’t all that different from how they had first met, and it had been initiated by her plummeting to the ground. It was from a much smaller distance, but it was still strange to witness someone falling with such a carefree attitude about it.

“Steven!”

The name flew from her mouth the moment her feet touched the ground, and the steel-blue eyed man turned to look at her. He greeted her with similar enthusiasm, and he lifted a hand to wave at her.

“Oh, Kagome!” Steven let his hand drop back down at his side as he watched her as she made her way over to him and away from where she had landed from her drop. “I see you are still falling from the sky.”

She halted in all movement at his words, her cheeks taking on a pink flush as she averted her gaze away from him.

“Your brother’s worry of you might be well-warranted, then.”

“I am more than capable of taking perfectly good care of myself!” she huffed back before she let her eyes scan over the others standing with Steven. Her light blue eyes landed on a familiar figure, and she perked up with a bright smile on her face. “Oh, hey! What are you doing here, Alain?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he responded, and he heard her stifle a laugh at the words.

“I go everywhere,” she stated. “I do happen to have quite the addiction to traveling.”

“Kagome is from Hoenn,” Steven answered for her, and he set a hand to her shoulder. “However, she goes all over the world to help me out.” He spared her a glance from the corner of his eye before shrugging. “It’s how she escapes her responsibilities.”

“You enable me to do it,” she shot back at him.

“Well, I know you won’t listen to me if I tell you otherwise.”

“Bing-o!” She looked away from Alain, and her attention landed on the little redhead with him. “Aw, who’s your friend?” she asked.

Mairin perked up at hearing her talk directly to her, and she lifted a hand so she could motion to herself. “My name is Mairin.” she then turned to the Chespin with her, “and this is Chespie!”

Kagome nodded and offered her a warm smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Mairin.” She looked towards Chespin and gave him the same smile. “You as well!” Upon saying those words, she turned her head up to the sky and she saw as Cheri finally came swooping down to land. Upon her landing, she motioned a hand towards the Charizard. “That’s Cheri.”

“Wow!” Mairin scooped Chespie up and squeezed him against her chest as she looked at Cheri with shining eyes. “What’s with her coloring?” It reminded her of the silver Metagross Steven had!

“Color differences can occur, but they are often rare and left unobserved,” Kagome told her. “Cheri is just one that is around to be seen.” She glanced towards Steven then and held a hand up in his direction. “Just as Steven’s Metagross is.”

She fell silent then, and she finally acknowledged she stare she been feeling on her since she had jumped from Cheri’s back. She turned a fraction to search out whoever it was that stood watching her, and her eyes landed on a massively tall man with bright red hair. She fought the glare that was tempted to rise onto her face at the presence of him, and she instead looked at him with a smile.

“What about you?” she asked him, “what may I call you?”

She didn’t know this man, but there was something about him that made her nerves burst alive. She didn’t quite know what it was, but it was there, and she found herself being unable to regard him with any genuine trust.

“My name is Lysandre,” he introduced himself. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Kagome- was it?”

She nodded in response. “To you, as well.”

She wouldn’t vocalize the wariness she felt towards him, but she also would not ignore it.

“Kagome.”

She blinked at hearing Steven’s voice, and she turned her attention from Lysandre and towards him. “What is it?” she asked him, and she craned her head to the side in apparent curiosity.

“This is partially due to my own interest, but both your brother and I have been wondering if you’ve given any thought to the request we extended to you.”

A frown tilted her lips downwards, and she turned away from him with a pout on her face. “I’d rather not discuss that around so many people.”

“I understand,” Steven told her, and he nodded his head as a smile flashed across his face, “but, please, consider it, at least.”

“...”

He took her silence as confirmation she would think of it, and he turned away with the smile still on his face.

That was all he asked of the small girl.


	3. Chapter 2

Not long after she had arrived, Kagome found herself off to the side as she spoke with Steven. 

“I’m actually surprised that you’ve come back so soon after leaving,” Steven looked towards Kagome as his words stole her attention back. “You left just last week. What brought you back home so early?”

“ _ He _ wanted to see me, so I chose to make the trip back since I was unable to see him last time I was here,” she said, glancing down at her feet for a moment as she stepped over a large rock. “I saw your Metagross, so I decided to pop in and surprise you!”

“I’m flattered,” Steven laughed. “Your visits can sometimes be so unpredictable. It’s always nice to see you in person.”

Kagome glanced back at Cheri, and she spotted Mairin patting her and talking to her. A small smile lined her lips at watching her. A second later she glanced at Alain. A part of her wondered how the young girl had started traveling with him. Alain struck her as someone who didn’t need people around him, and she assumed the girl had chosen on a whim to go along with him- no matter what he had said. When he looked at her, her smile grew and she twinkled her fingers in a friendly wave.

“Are you heading out now?” Steven asked her. His voice stole her attention again, and she turned back to face him completely. “I know he’s not someone who likes waiting around- at least, not when he’s expecting someone.”

She nodded and rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, I only meant to stop in and see you for a minute or two. I figured you’d like the chance to see how Cheri was doing, too. I guess I was taken by surprise at seeing everyone else,” she laughed. “I shouldn’t waste time when he’s waiting for me.”

“She’s looking as beautiful as ever,” Steven said. Cheri puffed her chest out in pride at his complimenting words. “Although… maybe she should stop dropping you from the sky so often. You could end up getting hurt,” he mentioned as an afterthought, and Cheri grumbled and looked away from him.

“Oh, please,” Kagome flicked her hand and walked back to Cheri. “As if that’d happen. She loves that game, too!”

“You are always going to be an odd one, Kagome,” he laughed and shook his head at her words. Everything about her was odd, and he doubted she’d ever normalize. He was lucky to know her as well as he did. She didn’t let many people in on her secrets and private matters. Her cautious nature kept her from being around those that she lacked any trust in. Steven looked back at her, and he noted how she was eying the orange-haired man there with a gleam of distrust shining in her eyes. He stepped closer to her and took her gently by the wrist to capture her attention again. “Be careful on your trip, okay?”

“I always am~” she sang in response and skipped away from Steven. “You be careful in your own tasks, Steven.”

“Huh?” Mairin glanced at Kagome as she stepped over to her Charizard. “Are you leaving already? You just showed up!”

Kagome nodded in response. “Yeah, I have to get going if I plan to meet my brother on time. He doesn’t like waiting for me to show up. He’s already hard enough to deal with when he’s in a pleasant mood. I really don’t want to face him when he’s grumpy.”

“Oh! Well, it was nice to meet you!” Mairin said, stepping back and smiling up at her. A second later, Kagome patted her head a few times.

“I’m glad I got to meet you, too,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll see one another again soon, Mairin.” She said those words and glanced at Alain. 

Their contact had been minimal so far, but she wasn’t surprised any. It would be hard to have a lot of interaction if she kept speeding away as she did, but… she couldn’t really help it. She let out a quiet sigh as she shook her head. Oh well, there was always next time- whenever that would be.

“Sorry to keep running off like this,” she called out to him, loud enough that it caught his attention. Kagome glanced at him with a smile full of warmth. “Hopefully one day I’ll have time to stick around and actually leave a positive impression. Well, y’know, outside of being that weird chick that falls out of the sky,” she added on with a laugh.

“Yeah,” he nodded in response to her words. “Maybe we’ll run into one another eventually.” He wouldn’t be one to complain if they did. The girl standing across from him was the oddest person he had ever come across, and each time they met she only seemed to get weirder. 

Kagome nodded in agreement to those words, and she finally let her eyes land on Lysandre again. There was  _ a lot _ she wished to say to him and about him to everyone else, but, for now, she held her tongue and smiled politely up at him. “It was nice to meet you, as well,” she said to him. “Maybe I’ll end up seeing you again one day, too,” she hummed in a thoughtful tone. 

“It was a pleasure to meet you,” he responded, tilting his head in a polite bow. “I look forward to the day we meet again, Kagome.”

“As do I,” she responded, fighting hard to keep her tone from going cold.

She didn’t trust him- not in the slightest. After sparing Steven one last look, to which he responded to with a silent nod, she mounted Cheri’s back and offered everyone a friendly wave.

“Bye-bye!”

With those final words, Cheri took the skies with her trainer. As the group below got further and further away Kagome gave a placated nod. She was glad that Steven had agreed. She’d head back to see him once her meeting with Sesshoumaru wrapped up.

Kagome let out a sigh and shook her head.

There was something about that Lysandre man that she didn’t like, and she wasn’t one to ignore or second-guess her gut feelings. Underneath his polite guise, there was something negative that lurked. She didn’t know what it was, but she could tell that it was there. He hid it well, but not enough to fool everyone. Not well enough to fool her.

“I don’t trust him, Cheri,” she mumbled as she leaned against her Charizard’s back. “You could feel it too, right, girl?”

Cheri let out a rumble in response, and Kagome nodded her head once more.

“Thought so.”

* * *

When she landed outside the large building, she called Cheri back to her Pokeball, and she stormed inside to search for the silver-haired demon. It didn’t take her long to find him, and she made her way over to where he stood near a distant wall.

“I’m here,” she called out in a quick greeting. “Sorry if I’m late. I ran into Steven and talked to him for a while.”

“That’s fine,” came his response, and he turned on his heel and began walking away. She had no choice other than to follow him. Kagome fell into step with him as they walked deeper into the building. She knew where he was leading her- he was guiding her away from the moderately populated building and into a more private room. Immediately she knew what this talk would be about.

The door shut behind them, and they were soon seated at a table in the room populated solely by them. She waited patiently for him to speak, drumming her fingertips against the surface of the table as she waited.

“Have you decided what to do with the Shikon no Tama?” Sesshoumaru finally asked her. “I still think having Steven lock it up is the best possibility for it.”

“I know,” she retorted with a quick shrug of her shoulders. “I’m still thinking about it.”

“We are here because of what befell our natural world,” he spoke in a cold drawl, “because of that jewel. We don’t need someone else getting their hands on it when it still has every capability of doing the same to this world. Do you really want to risk a Naraku 2.0 getting his hands on it?”

Kagome shuddered at the thought, but she didn’t respond. Her mind switched to the memory of what Naraku had done to their rightful world once getting his hands on the jewel. He had managed to destroy it to where it was uninhabitable. It was by some miracle that the jewel came back to her following the destruction, and it was even more of a miracle that they all had managed to survive at all.

She heard Sesshoumaru sigh, and she looked back up to meet his stare.

“Keeping it out of anyone’s hands is the best route to take for it, and I think you agree with me on that,” he said.

“I do,” she admitted as she reached up and pulled the pink stone out from under her blouse. “It’s just… leaving it unsupervised makes me worried, too. I have a better shot at keeping it safe if I keep it on me. I can make sure nothing like that ever happens again. There isn’t a battle for who can get most of it anymore. No one here knows about it. I’m… I’m supposed to look after it.”

“Like every other time we’ve discussed this, it is merely a single option for you to consider. The jewel will not allow itself to be destroyed, and I figured it might be best for you and everyone else if it was locked away,” Sesshoumaru told her. “The only one who knows the depth of everything in this world is Steven, and he is more than prepared to keep it sealed away and out of harm's way.”

“I just… I want more time to think about it,” she said then. 

“Very well,” he responded. “You are the jewel’s guardian, and no one can make your mind up for you or give you orders on what to do with the jewel,” he said as he stood back up, motioning for her to do the same. He led her out of the room and back out into the halls. “Before I return to my business, I should tell you that your companions are here for you. The slayer and the kit are, at least. My brother and the monk are still busy.”

Kagome’s eyes lit up at hearing that, and she stepped away from Sesshoumaru.

“I’ll go find them,” she called over her shoulder as she started heading away from him.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for the teams I've settled on (For now. I'm open to adjustments if there are any)  
> Kagome: Charizard, Gabite, Milotic, Eevee, (Evolves into either Sylveon or Espeon- still considering) Zoroark, Lucario (Eventual Mega.)  
> Sesshoumaru: (Mega) Aggron, Arcanine, Pyroar, Luxray, Bisharp, Serperior.  
> Inuyasha: Houndoom, (Mega) Absol, Arcanine, Rampardos, Mightyena, Granbull.  
> Miroku: (Mega) Medicham, Gardevoir, Haunter, Smeargle, Lilligant, Mienshao.  
> Sango: (Mega) Lopunny, Blaziken, Gallade, Lucario, Pancham, Hawlucha.  
> Shippo: Vulpix, Delphox, Flareon, Zorua, Quilava, (Mega) Houndoom.
> 
> I couldn't resist having Sango and Miroku having matching Pokemon (Gardevoir and Gallade), as well as Kagome and Shippo having a few matching, too (Zoroark/Zorua, and Flareon/Eevee-Espeon/Slyveon)

It didn't take her long to locate her friends. The two of them were seated on the edge of a large fountain as they talked about something only they could hear. Swatting at the water was Kirara. She caught the attention of many women and children passing by, who ended up stopping and asking the pair where they could find one.

Sango brushed them all off with an apologetic smile. As she got closer, she could hear the excuse she had long-since been feeding strangers.

"I'm sorry, really, but Kirara is a one of a kind."

Those words were followed by disparaged sighs and quick requests of being able to snap a photo of her for reference. Sango allowed it, stepping out of the way some to let a woman get a clear shot of her. It was then that the brunette noticed her. A warm smile brightened her features as she lifted a hand and waved at her.

"Kagome! We've been waiting ever since Sesshoumaru said you were coming here today," she said as she headed towards her. Shippo leapt up next and ran over to her. He threw his arms around her hips and hugged her as tight as he could.

"Sorry if I kept you two waiting," Kagome said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I got delayed a bit on my way here."

"We weren't waiting long," Sango said and lightly pulled Shippo away from the ravenette. He pouted, but let her tug him away. She threw her arms around her next in a strong hug. "I'm just glad to see you again! You run off so often that we can barely have a conversation anymore!"

Kagome laughed. "Sorry, I guess I'm just busy. You can always come with me, you know."

"I wanna go with Kagome!" Shippo stated, throwing his arms out so his hands were up in the air. "If that's an option, I'm sticking by her side!"

"If you really want to, then I'd love the company," Kagome said, her tone just as enthusiastic as the boy's had been.

"I just might take you up on your offer," Sango said then. The three of them walked back to the fountain and settled down on the edge of it. "I wish all of us could get together and travel like we used to. You do so much running around for Steven and Sesshoumaru that we rarely see each other."

Kagome smiled at those words. She wished for the same thing- to get the whole group back together so they could travel around this world, just as they had done to their old one. While it was different types of traveling, it was still a nice thought to return to.

"Speaking of Sesshoumaru," Sango began again, "he asked you about it again, didn't he? That's why he wanted you to come see him."

Kagome nodded her head. "Yeah, he thinks that letting the jewel get locked away, then that will be for the best."

"Don't you feel the same way?" Sango asked. She was confused about Kagome's unwillingness to let the jewel get put away in a secure place for good. The offer Steven had extended to her was one that should be taken. That way, no one would ever have to deal with it.

"I just… I feel like the jewel should stay in my hands for now. After all, I'm the protector of it, right?" Kagome curled a hand around the pink bauble and sighed. "Such a small thing caused our world to become nothing more than a barren wasteland of no survivors. I feel that, if I can keep it safe by my own means this time, then that won't happen here."

"Kagome…" Sango leaned against her at hearing her heavy tone. "You couldn't stop what happened any more than the rest of us could. Naraku was the cause of it," she said. Her voice hardened as she spoke his name. "He attacked you and destroyed the well, he stole the jewel from you when you were hurt and unconscious. He set off the catalyst that ravaged the world into nothing."

"I know that."

"Then why do you keep letting it hover over your head?" Sango asked. "We gave it our all, and Naraku was one step ahead of us. He knew how to tear us down and break every one of us- even Sesshoumaru…"

"I would just prefer if it vanished from existence entirely," Kagome muttered then. She folded her arms over her chest and sighed again.

"You and me both."

* * *

The news of the giant prehistoric creatures on course for collision reached them around noon. They had been in the middle of a lunch when the television in the diner turned to a news broadcast of the awoken primal forms of Kyogre and Groudon.

At that moment, Kagome did the one thing she could think to do- she called Steven to see if he had any explanation for it. She knew of his research of the Megalith, having helped him on a few occasions in locating potential information on it, and that was the only thing she could think to be the cause behind it.

She made the choice to return to visit him much sooner than she had been planning at first.

"Kagome?"

She glanced at Sango and Shippo. They both had stood from the table and they looked at her with the same gleam in their eyes. "I'm going," she said then. She glanced at her phone, which she had just hung up after a quick discussion with Steven. "Groudon and Kyogre are heading straight for one another. If they meet, things can turn dire."

"I'm going too," Sango said. Her voice was determined, and her chocolate eyes gleamed with a weight of steadfast focus.

"Me too!" Shippo said next. He clutched his tightened fists against his chest and nodded in determination. "This is something I can help in, and I want to help!"

It was silent between the three of them, but Kagome broke it with a soft laugh.

"Then we'll all go to help Steven deal with this," she said. "Cheri can get us there in no time."

True to her word, it was a quick flight to where Steven was. Once they had landed and hopped off the Charizard, Kagome called her back inside her pokeball. They went into the building, where they were then waved up to where Steven was waiting.

The automatic door opened when they got to it, and they finally came to a halt at stepping into the room.

"So it really is them, then, huh?" Sango asked as she stepped further into the room. On the large screen were video feeds of both the huge Pokemon moving forward. They had taken on their primal forms, and they were now making for the same place.

Steven, though taken by surprise at spotting the two with Kagome, nodded. "It would seem so."

Kagome frowned. "If I remember the myth correctly, won't they engage in a massive battle when meeting?"

Steven nodded again. "It's likely that will happen."

Her frown deepened at hearing those words. "If you're going, then so am I," she said.

"Eh?" Mairin peeked from around Alain to look at the group. "It's dangerous though…"

"It'll be okay," Kagome assured her with a calm smile and a wave.

"Yeah," Steven nodded. "It's just a little observation."

"I'll go, too," Alain said.

Kagome blinked and looked at him. Their eyes met for a few seconds and she smiled. She wasn't surprised by those words, and a part of her was glad that he would be going as well.

"I'll prepare a means of transportation," Steven said as he made for the door. He paused next to Kagome and the two that had shown up with her. "It's good to see you two again, as well," he commented before heading out the room.

Kagome glanced at Mairin next. She could see the fear in her eyes, and she could tell that she didn't want to go. It was okay if she didn't. Their eyes met, and Kagome gave her an encouraging nod before taking Sango and Shippo by the arms.

"We're going ahead as well. When you're ready, Alain, come on," she said before pulling the both of them behind her.

* * *

After a few minutes of them standing at the corner of the hallway, the door finally opened and Alain left the room. Mairin didn't follow, but she didn't expect for her to. The girl didn't want to go, and it seemed that her attempt of keeping Alain from going had fallen flat.

Kagome smiled at him as he stopped before her. "I take it Mairin won't be going?" she asked as she turned and took to leading the group.

"No," he responded. "Anyway, she'd just end up being a burden if she did."

Kagome attempted to stifle her laugh, only to end up failing and muffling her laugh with her palm. "Wow, you almost sound like you've convinced yourself of that." She glanced over her shoulder at him before shrugging. "Deep down, you're glad- I can tell. Because if she stays here, she's safe, right?"

"..."

"Knew it~!" Kagome sang out. She turned and walked backward as she watched his expression. "You seem all cool and aloof, but, deep down you really care."

"Kagome, I think that's enough," Sango said. "I doubt now is the time to tease."

"Who's teasing?" Kagome pouted. "I think it's nice to see that kind of care in someone. Reminds me of Inuyasha, y'know?"

"Inuyasha's a jerk," Shippo huffed. "You shouldn't insult this guy like that."

"Oh, hush you," Kagome swatted his head. "He's getting better- granted very slowly." Kagome turned to Alain again and smiled. "These two are Shippo and Sango," she introduced each of them with a flick of her hand. "They're some of my friends."

"It's nice to meet you," Sango said.

"Hi!" Shippo waved.

"It's nice to meet you both," Alain responded. "I'm surprised- your friends seem normal compared to you."

Kagome pursed her lips as she glared at him. The jab he had directed at her had been picked up. "That's where you're wrong~," she sang. "They're just as weird as me- and the only get even weirder."

She turned around then right as Steven showed up. To avoid running into him, she stepped to the side and continued forward shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hoenn Champion.

"I'm not surprised," Alain said then. Kagome missed the way his lips curled up as he said those words.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin's Team:  
> Floette, Deerling, Litleo, Azurill, Vivillon (High Plains Pattern), and Shinx.

She could feel the surging auras before the massive behemoths even came into their line of sight. She felt a trembling shock run down her spine as she straightened her posture. From her spot between Sango and Steven, she felt uneasy.

She breathed a sigh of discomfort as she rolled up the sleeves of her jacket. "Geeze…" she whined, "it's really hot out here." Which was odd. They were surrounded by mountains of glaciers. It just went to show the blazing heat being produced by Primal Groudon.

"I think it's pretty cozy," Shippo said with a grin. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Sure, you'd think that," she retorted with a dry smile twisting her lips upwards. She glanced out the window behind her, her eyes landing on the forged path created by Groudon. Before long, the outline of the giant beast soon entered her line of sight.

Not long after, a strange thrum of energy nearly made her lose her balance. She steadied herself using Sango's arm for support. The strong energy hadn't been picked up by just her, but also by the workers aboard with them.

"The pattern we're picking up is the same," one of them said, momentarily looking towards them as they went closer to him.

"The same as what?" Sango asked. She had steadied a grip on Shippo to keep him close, with Kirara balanced on the top of his head. She glanced at Kagome curiously, but she got nothing more than a blank stare from her friend.

"So, it really is the Megalith," Steven said. He looked at the pair who were seemingly out of the loop and gave them both a brief summary. "Upon coming across the Megalith earlier, we had an unexpected encounter with Rayquaza. Not long after, however, the Megalith disappeared. It seems to be in the process solidifying again out here."

"That must be what is pulling Groudon and Kyogre in this direction," Kagome said as she folded her arms across her chest. A frown pulled her lips downward. "They are both heading towards the power source produced by the Megalith."

Steven nodded. "They must be. I can't think of any other reason for them to be going towards one another."

A low rumble in the headpiece she had put on caused another jolt to race down her spine. This one was different from before, though. Not long after, a familiar voice played through her head. It wasn't a voice she trusted, no. The voice of Lysandre gave her that same feeling of distrust as standing next to him did.

Along with her, both Steven and Alain also wore the same type of headpiece. One look at them informed her that they also heard him.

Though a bit muddled with static, she could still hear him clearly.

" _Am I coming through?"_

Lysandre's question was quick and served to alert them of the shared communication he had with the three of them. As soon as he knew they could hear him, he wasted no time in continuing.

" _We've detected the energy of the Megalith, as well, but we have yet to get a response from it as a single thing,"_  he told them.

So, he had been able to hear them enough to know what their conversation was about? Kagome pursed her lips together and attempted to hide her unease at listening to him.

" _It's hard to tell what will happen at the time being."_ He paused for a moment before extending a word of caution their way, and Kagome wasn't sure if she should appreciate the gesture a tiny bit, or to feel even more uneasy about it. " _Be sure to take care of yourselves whilst conducting the investigation."_

The next second, warning alarms went off as something finally breached from below the water's surface. A third aura became much stronger, and Kagome bit her lip before sighing, "looks like Kyogre finally decided to join our party."

Not very surprisingly, as soon as it made its appearance, it launched an attack at Groudon. The single attack served to initiate a fight between the two ancient creatures.

"Ah…!"

As they were lifted higher into the air to avoid the aggressive attacks by the two, Kagome felt her balance slip from her. She managed to steady herself before she could fall completely. A hand on her shoulder kept her from falling over, and she glanced to her side to spot Alain keeping a firm grip on her.

"Oh… thank you," she managed to get out as she pulled herself onto more firm footing.

"No problem," was his response. When he was sure she wouldn't end up slipping back again, Alain finally let his hand drop from her shoulder. Not even a second later, he could feel a heated glare directed at him. He found the source of it, with it being the auburn-haired friend of Kagome.

A glare had melted onto Shippo's face at spotting Alain's hand on his mother, but he bit down on anything he wanted to say upon reminding himself that he couldn't outright tell him not to touch his mother.

For a moment, Shippo held his eyes with a displeased glare before he was forced to look away. Kagome stepped in between them and impatiently motioned for him to come towards her.

"Shippo, stand beside me," she demanded. Sure, he was strong enough to take care of himself here, but that didn't mean she wouldn't protect him.

"'Kay!" Shippo said as he darted over to her. His arms circled around her hips and he pressed his head to her shoulder contently. From there, he shot another glare Alain's way- this one much more possessive than the first.

The weight of the glare made him uncomfortable, and it was soon picked up by the brunette woman. She stifled a laugh and leaned towards him once Shippo finally turned away.

"Don't worry about him," she whispered. "He's just really protective of Kagome. He sees her like family."

"I would have never guessed," he muttered back, his tone a bit sarcastic. Sango laughed in response.

"He won't do any harm- well, not much harm, at least," she said with a shrug. "If he warms up to you, you'll never hear the end of his chatting," she added on with a quieter laugh.

"The expansion rate of the Megalith has increased even more." At the man's words, everyone looked his way. Once he had all of their attention, he allowed himself to continue, glancing down at the readings coming through. "The crystallographic density is increasing more and more. It is beginning to solidify in its place."

Kagome looked towards Steven as Shippo remained attached to her. He met her gaze with a knowing one, but it didn't ease her any.

"It's likely they will battle, and it won't be pretty," she stated, glancing down at Shippo nervously. She patted his hair and felt him squeeze her tighter.

Was there any way to prevent that without any harm happening? They were both going after the Megalith, and they wouldn't give up until they claimed it. Kyogre against Groudon… if that old legend came true, then only trouble would follow.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of a door opening and feeling a strong gust of wind brush along her body. She had to lift a hand to keep her hair from blocking her vision as she searched for the cause.

"Alain?" Steven managed to voice the surprise she felt at spotting the man approach the now open door. He followed him, stopping next to him as he gripped the side to keep himself steady. "What are you doing?"

"I'd like to know, too," Kagome demanded as she carefully pushed Shippo a bit further back with Sango and Kirara.

"We'll stop those two!" Alain said as he called out his Charizard.

At his response, she felt her mouth fall open a bit. Of course, she had been debating on the thought of intervening in their course if it got to the point where it was needed, but she felt uneasy at hearing him getting involved. "Geeze," she hissed as she pressed her hand to her forehead. "And I thought  _I_  was the one with the dumb ideas…" she muttered under her breath as she looked at Alain.

What had even given him the idea in the first place? Her mind returned to Lysandre for a brief moment, recalling how Alain seemed to work for that large man. Had it been him?

… but when had he been told to do so?

Her frown deepened as she glanced down at the two behemoths. While Alain's Mega Charizard managed to distract Groudon from its pursuit, Kyogre had taken the opportunity to try and take the Megalith.

Before it could, however, Steven's Metagross knocked it back into the water before it could claim it.

Kagome reached into her bag and pulled a Pokeball out. "Cheri, let's go!" she cried as she called out her own Charizard.

Cheri spread her wings and produced a low rumble as she glanced towards her trainer. Their eyes met, and Kagome nodded.

Kagome glanced at both men beside her before yanking her hair into a messy ponytail. As if knowing what she was going to do, Steven attempted to caution her not to.

"Kagome, I don't think-"

"I know what I'm doing!" Kagome called back as she took a few steps back to build up speed. Before anyone could stop her, she ran forward and leaped out of the aircraft they stood in. Cheri caught her in the air, letting out a pleased roar when her trainer landed on her back.

"I find that  _extremely_ hard to believe!" Steven shot back at her. Concern weighed his tone down, and Kagome ended up glancing back at him.

"You two just handle Groudon and Kyogre. I'll make sure the Megalith is kept out of their reach."

"This is by far the dumbest thing she's ever done…" Sango stated, gnashing her teeth together to refrain from mounting Kirara and joining her friend out there. She would have, if not for the excess attention from news helicopters out there.

Steven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"She's going to get herself hurt," Alain said, and Steven looked at him upon hearing his faintly worried tone.

"It's possible," he responded, not seeing a reason to lie. "Kagome isn't normal by any means, so I can't say for certain." The girl from the different world was the strangest person he had ever come across. She also, however, had the strangest abilities, so he had some confidence that she knew what she was up to. That didn't mean he approved of her reckless actions. "She can fend for herself just fine, and she's smart enough to go with caution."

One look at Alain proved that he didn't quite believe what he said. Not that he blamed him, going by what he's seen of her by now. He could see the worry in his eyes, and Steven smiled.

"You and Mega Charizard focus on Groudon, and Mega Metagross and I will handle Kyogre. We'll let Kagome do what she does best."

"What she does best…?"

Alain was answered by silence as Steven glanced away. By now Kagome was approaching the Megalith, but he still had no idea what she was doing.

With both Kyogre and Groudon distracted by Steven's Metagross and Alain's Charizard, that left her able to approach the still solidifying Megalith.

She couldn't do much to stop Groudon and Kyogre from fighting, but she could give her all to making sure the Megalith was safe from them. She focused her attention on the glittering area, summoning up all the energy she could so she could encase the spot in a barrier. It was unable to be noticed due to the gleam being produced in the area, the soft and see-through pink getting drowned out by shimmering light.

She was aware of the commotion down below, and she clutched tighter to Cheri to keep from getting knocked off her back. As the Megalith got more and more solid, she was left standing guard over it and observing the battling below.

From the corner of her eye, she could make out Charizard being hit directly and getting launched across the terrain. He flew into a large chunk of ice, the ice shattering into pieces upon his collision with it.

"Cheri-!" She was about to command Cheri to take her down to where Charizard had landed, but a sudden attack from the opponentless Groudon was directed at her. She nearly ended up slipping from Cheri's back, and she tightened her grip with a mute cry.

She sat up again as things around her spot settled down, and when she looked down next, she could make out the figure of Alain running across the ice. He was heading towards the pile of ice chunks Charizard had landed in.

Kyogre managed to shake off the attacks by Metagross, and once again lunged for Groudon. Groudon caught it as it left the water and flung it away- and towards her direction.

She lost her balance completely as Cheri hurried to move out of the way to dodge Kyogre's massive body, accidentally shaking her trainer off.

"Kyaaa!" She couldn't bite down on the scream that bubbled up in her throat, instead allowing it to slip free as she plummeted down to the ice below. She managed to act fast enough to shield herself a bit before she landed on the freezing surface.

She hit with a thud, laying there with her cheek against the ice for a moment as the largest part of the pain slowly faded. She hadn't escaped completely wound-free, and she had ended up with a few cuts and gashes along her legs and arms, as well as one on the side of her head. "Oww…" she whimpered as she got up onto her knees. She looked up, only to spot Cheri approaching her.

"Cheri! Keep them away from the Megalith!" Kagome shouted up at her. "Help Steven and Metagross!"

Despite giving a rumble in protest, Cheri obeyed her trainer and ascended back up into the sky to follow through with her request.

She had heard Kyogre collide with a block of ice, and she pushed herself up onto her feet in search of Alain. She saw him laying a few yards away from her, and she hurried over to him on unsteady feet.

"Alain, are you okay?" She dropped to her knees upon reaching his side, shaking him with both hands a few times, only to realize he was out cold. She quickly worked on getting him moved from the spot they were in, still exposed to the fighting Pokemon.

"Alain!"

Kagome froze in her actions at hearing another voice. She looked up, only to find herself looking at the girl who had been with Alain.

"Mairin?" Kagome had to blink a few times to make sure she was right. Mairin looked at her and nodded. "I thought you didn't want to come out here," she said.

"I didn't," she said, "but I didn't want Alain to end up hurt either..." she said, looking down at her feet. Kagome nodded and quickly motioned her to his other side.

"Get his other side," she told her, and she once again lifted him with the assistance of Mairin. Together, the two of them managed to move him.

The task would have been a lot easier for her if she hadn't gotten injured in her fall, and the pain in her arms and legs wouldn't fade completely due to her barrier still absorbing her energy.

They hid behind a chunk of ice, and Kagome finally slid into a seated position.

"Are you okay?" Mairin asked, crouching in front of her and looking at her face. Her eyes were flooded with worry, and Kagome waved her words off with a faint laugh.

"I've had much worse," she said. "I'll be okay, don't worry about me, Mairin," Kagome told her.

Before she could say anything else, a bright gleam of light caught her attention. She pushed herself back up, taking Mairin's hand when she held it out to her, and they both walked to peer around the wall of ice they had taken refuge behind. The light was being produced by the Megalith as it finished solidifying.

Though still encased in her barrier, it shimmered and glittered brilliantly, casting bright rays over the entire area.

The completely solid Megalith soon became the last of her worries when a hissing roar echoed through the dark clouds overhead. The clouds parted a bit, and before long the green beast that lived among the tops of the skies appeared above the Megalith.

"Is that Mega Rayquaza?" Kagome forced the question out, despite knowing the answer already. She could feel the unease that soon built up around Mairin, and she tugged her protectively to her side. Mairin accepted the gesture and clung tight to her.

It didn't take much from Mega Rayquaza to break up the match between Groudon and Kyogre. It beat them both back and returned to stand guard over the Megalith.

She could see Cheri take up a position next to Steven's Metagross. A faint noise coming from behind her pulled her attention away from the area. She glanced over her shoulder and let out a sigh of relief at spotting Alain finally stirring from his unconscious state.

"You're awake, thank goodness," she said as she set a hand against her chest.

At hearing her, Alain glanced towards both girls. His mouth fell open at seeing Mairin there. "Mairin, why are you here?"

Mairin smiled at his words. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

He looked towards Kagome next, his attention landing on the smears of blood covering her exposed skin. Before he could say anything, Kagome held a hand up and flicked it nonchalantly. "I know I look a little roughed up, but I'm A-Okay!" she assured him with a grin.

Both Mairin and Kagome helped him up onto his feet, and the three of them stepped back over to watch what was happening. They were only watching for a few seconds before several flash bombs went off in the sky around Rayquaza and the Megalith. It left them all blinded, forcing them to look away from a stunningly bright light.

Without any warning, the aura of the Megalith seemed to fade into nothing. Gone with it were slivers of her aura that had been placed into the barrier she had protected it in. An unsettling feeling filled her chest then.

Taking the Megalith was one thing… How had some of her own energy managed to get plucked away with it…?

When the light faded, and she was finally able to look back at the area, she was greeted by a leaving Rayquaza and an empty sky. Not long after it, Kyogre and Groudon were also leaving the area.

"Kagome…?" Mairin tugged on her sleeve a few times to get her to look her way. The way she felt was shown on her face, and it had caught Mairin's attention. "Are you okay?"

Kagome looked down at Mairin and forced herself to nod, burying her worries deep inside her as to not worry Mairin and Alain any.

"Don't worry about me, Mairin."

* * *

"Kagome? Does it hurt any?"

At hearing Sango's question, Kagome looked towards her before quickly shaking her head. "Ah… no, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Sango finished bandaging Kagome's obtained wounds before sinking down on the ice next to her. Shippo sat with his head resting on Kagome's lap as she gently combed through his bangs with slightly chilled fingers.

"What were you thinking?" Sango snapped at her, her tone turning harsh and scolding. "You could have gotten yourself killed, you know!"

"I'm sorry…" Kagome adverted her gaze at hearing the worry Sango spoke with. "The only way I knew to make sure the Megalith would remain away from both Kyogre and Groudon was to encase it in my barrier. I should have been more careful, and I'm sorry."

A weak smile flashed across Sango's face. "You're too reckless for your own good." Kirara nuzzled against her cheek, and Sango began to pet her. "But I can tell there's something bothering you. What is it?"

Kagome turned to meet her eyes. "The barrier I put up around the Megalith… it left with it, without me taking it down." She saw the shock flash through Sango's eyes at those words. "That man… Lysandre… there's something so terrible about him- I can feel it. I don't know what it is, but I don't trust him."

"Your instincts have never been wrong," Sango said. She had not met this Lysandre person, but she had heard about him a few times that day, with the most recent being by Steven when he told them that Lysandre was taking the Megalith back to Kalos with him.

"I can't just tell everyone about it, though," Kagome said. "I have nothing to back up why I feel this way."

"It'll be okay," Sango whispered as she pulled Kagome into a warm hug, being mindful of her still healing injuries.

"I hope so."

The man that she couldn't trust now had slivers of her energy, along with the Megalith. It left such a heavy weight on her heart.

* * *

"Huh?!" Mairin let her mouth drop open in astonishment as she looked up at the pair of Kagome and Steven. "What do you mean Alain left already?!"

"He said it'd be safer if you weren't with him," Steven said, but his words did nothing to calm the girl. She whirled around, about to run out of the building and look for her travel companion. Kagome set a hand on her shoulder to still her movements.

"How about you just get a ride with us?" Kagome asked her with a smile. "It'll definitely be quicker and much more fun than going on your own!"

"Really?!" Mairin's eyes lit up at the suggestion, and she nodded excitedly. "That'd be great!"

Kagome laughed at her enthusiastic attitude. "I'm glad you think so," she said. An approaching figure stole her attention, and she turned just as he stopped a few feet behind her.

"Are we leaving now?" Shippo grinned at Kagome.

"Yeah." She nodded and reached for his hand, gripping it and pulling him along with them. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Why did you want to see me, Slayer?"

The cold drawl he spoke with didn't unnerve her any, and, instead, Sango stepped closer to him.

"Kagome couldn't come out here again, as she's busy elsewhere, so I'm here for her," Sango said.

"Huuh?" A soft voice cut in then, and a small girl turned to face Sesshoumaru. Held in her arms was a content and napping Shinx with an orange bow clipped into her fur. "How come you didn't tell me Miss Kagome came to visit?" Rin looked up at her guardian with a pout on her face.

"She has things to do, Rin," he said, "if she hadn't been busy, she would have stayed to see you," he assured her.

Sango smiled at Rin before looking back at Sesshoumaru.

"There's someone she wants you to keep an eye on for her," she finally said. "You're much better at it than any of us, and she knows nothing will slip past you."

"Who is it?"

"Lysandre- the owner of Lysandre Labs in Kalos."

"Very well," he said. "Is that all you wanted from me?"

Sango nodded and offered him a smile. "Yes- I'll be on my way now."

"Where's the kit?"

Sango paused before she could take a single step, and she glanced back at him with a wry smile.

"He wanted to go with Kagome."

"... Figures."


	6. Chapter 5

With Steven busy on the trip back to Kalos, that left Mairin with Shippo and Kagome to talk to. She sat next to Kagome and observed her for a few minutes. There was a faraway look in her eyes. Despite the severity of her wounds, she no longer had a need for her bandages. The cuts had healed fully, and it amazed the girl.

Tentatively, as to not startle her, Mairin reached out and gently tugged at her sleeve. After a few tries, she garnered the blue-eyed girl's attention, and she looked at her.

"Is something wrong, Mairin?" Kagome asked.

"No," Mairin said as she shook her head. "I wanted to make sure you're okay…" she said then, glancing down to avoid her gaze. "You look really distracted."

Kagome stifled a laugh as she crossed legs. "I'm just thinking, don't worry about me."

"You say that a lot," Mairin said.

"I don't like people worrying about me," she countered. "It doesn't help them any, and I'd rather people worry about themselves before me."

Mairin pouted at her response. Before she could say anything else, Kagome glanced away from her.

"We've been in the air for a while now, but it'll still be a bit longer. You're probably bored," she said as she glanced out the window at her side. "How about I tell you a story to pass the time?"

"A story?"

Kagome nodded as a soft smile painted across her face. The memories of her old life had been filling her head for some time now, and she couldn't shake the thought of them. "Just a little something to pass the time."

"Sure!" Mairin nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion.

Her smile widened at the response, and Kagome folded her arms across her chest as she thought on where to begin. "Once upon a time there was a girl. She lived with her family and lived a very normal life until she ended up falling down a well. Instead of landing in a puddle of water, the girl ended up stumbling five-hundred years into the past."

"The past?"

Kagome nodded. "Now, the girl had no idea what to do upon ending up there. Everywhere she went, she was mistaken to be someone else by everyone she met. She ended up running into trouble while there, getting attacked by a monster that was after her. In the attack, the monster ripped a jewel from her body. Desperate to survive, the girl freed a half-demon that was stuck to a tree. He saved her from it, and it was the start of an unintentional friendship between the girl and boy."

Shippo, catching onto the origin of the story glanced up from brushing his Vulpix's fur and watched his mother with a somber expression.

"The two were the start to a very odd group of companions. A fox demon child, a lecherous monk, as well as a demon slayer. None of them really fit together, but somehow they managed to become friends. Despite all odds, demons and their enemies managed to exist peacefully with one another. You see, they came together while on a quest."

"By accident, the girl from the future had broken the jewel that had been ripped from her body, breaking it apart with an arrow. The shattered pieces flew across the world, landing scattered out and far away from one another. This jewel was incredibly powerful, so powerful that even just one fragment of it could give immense power to its user. However, they weren't the only ones looking for it. The jewel could grant wishes as well, and other beings were after it for that ability."

"There was one evil figure in particular. He wanted the jewel so he could ravage the world into nothing. His intent was dark and corrupted, and they all fought tooth and nail to keep him from having his way. They called upon allies and friends alike, but he was much stronger. He lacked morals and he found the dirtiest ways to take his enemies down. He killed several of their allies, eventually winding them back down to a small group that didn't stand a chance."

"The jewel fell into his hands, and it granted his wish. Those who had been fighting against him had no choice but to watch as the world they loved ended up burning into nothing. It became a barren wasteland that would become uninhabitable once those who still struggled to live died. By a miracle, the jewel found its way back to the group following his wish."

Kagome paused then, looking down at her hands as she tightened them into taunt fists, digging her fingers into the fabric of her clothes.

"What happened then?" Mairin asked. "What happened to them? What happened to the world?"

"They first attempted to get the jewel to restore the world, but it refused to grant that wish. Left with no other option to survive, they asked it for another wish- this one it granted. They wished to leave to another world, to leave that dead one behind just so they could survive. In this new world, things were so different, but they found a way to persevere."

"They found someone they could trust with their secrets, and he helped them adapt to the world. They found a way to be happy there, despite still carrying around the ghosts of their pasts with them." Kagome closed her eyes then. "That girl originally from the future felt awful, though. She felt like she was to blame for everything. She had been the one to shatter the jewel. She was the reason it was even there."

She felt Shippo's attention on her, but she refused to meet his stare.

"But… she's not the one who wished for that to happen," he cut in then. "It wasn't her fault!"

His sudden response made Mairin jump a bit in her seat as she looked at him. She felt like she was missing something, but before she could ask, Kagome spoke again.

"Being at fault and feeling at fault are two completely different things," she said. "No matter who tells her that she wasn't to blame, it's still a feeling that hangs over her head."

"... I think she needs to look at it differently then," he said as he turned away from Kagome with a pout on his face. "Yeah, bad things happened, but a lot of good happened, too. If she had never come along, those people would have never met and would have never become friends. That counts for something."

Mairin looked at the two with her in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked Shippo, cocking her head to the side. "It's just a story, right…?"

"Yes," Kagome nodded before affectionally patting Mairin's head. "Don't worry too much about it. It's just something I told you to make the time pass quicker." She motioned to the window, and Mairin turned her head to see the ground approaching them. "Look! We've arrived!"

While Mairin hopped up and went to find Steven, Shippo got up and approached Kagome.

"... You shouldn't let it hang over your head, Mother," he said as he looked down at his feet. "If anything should be blamed, it's the jewel for not granting your wish to fix the mess."

A small smile appeared on Kagome face as she pulled him against her. "It definitely holds some of the blame," she said before pulling him along with her as she went in the direction Mairin had gone.

* * *

Kagome stretched as her feet landed on solid concrete after being in the air for so long. A sigh of relief tumbled from her lips as her two younger companions came to stand at her sides. Steven stood in front of them, waiting for them all to get there.

"Okay! Let's go!" Kagome said, but, before she could take a step forward, a Pokemon she had exited its pokeball without warning. Upon touching the ground, it began to dart around her legs excitedly.

"'Vee!"

Steven let out a chuckle at the sight of Kagome's Eevee. "She's still the same," he observed before crouching down carefully to be on eye-level with her.

"Uh, Steven don't-!"

When Eevee noticed him, she reared back and tackled him with all the strength she could muster. He fell back, losing his balance and landing on his behind, while Eevee sat at the feet of her trainer with her tail wagging proudly at her strength.

"She's completely the same," Shippo said then. "Why do you think she's kept Eva in her pokeball so much recently?"

"I forgot about her attitude," Steven said as Kagome helped him up as she muttered apologies on repeat.

"She's adorable!" Mairin cooed, but she was cautious about getting to close after seeing her take Steven down with no hesitation. Kagome smiled at Mairin's words, and she waved her towards Eevee after catching her hesitation.

"Eva is a bit rough with boys, but she's a sweetheart to girls, so don't worry," Kagome said. At those words, Eva looked up at Mairin before leaping into her arms to nuzzle her cheek affectionately.

"She's so soft!" Mairin squeezed her closer. Eva let her squeeze as much as she wanted, more than used to such actions following being around Rin several times. "Why is she so rough with boys?" she asked as she looked up at Kagome.

"She's always been like that," Kagome said with a weak sigh. "Since I've been around Steven and Alain a bit as of late, I opted to keep her in her pokeball to keep her from… well from what you just saw her do to Steven."

Steven smiled. "Still, she's getting stronger."

"'Vee!" Her tail wagged more at his praise, and she let him pet her a few times before finally ducking away from him.

Kagome smiled, glad he wasn't upset by Eevee's actions, and she fell in step with him as he led them into the airport.

"Do you want her back now?" Mairin asked, and Kagome shook her head.

"It's fine," she said. "She's more than happy as she is, anyway," she added on with a laugh. She waved both Shippo and Mairin in front of her before finally following the group she was with.

* * *

She opted to allow Eevee to stay out of her pokeball, even as they left to a new destination. With a bit of self-encouragement, she had agreed to go with them to Lysandre Labs. She didn't want to come off as strange, so she quietly followed after Steven and Mairin with Shippo at her side.

She had asked Sango to go see Sesshoumaru for her, to ask him to keep watch on the man known as Lysandre. She knew her instincts were often right, but she had no proof of her wariness of him. She couldn't tell anyone, because, if she were to without any logical reason, there would be no reason to believe her.

She felt a hand take her own, and she glanced at Shippo, who was watching her with a glow of worry in his eyes. Kagome smiled and tightened her fingers around his. Silently saying, " _It'll be okay._ "

Not long after they entered the building, someone informed them that Lysandre would be there in a few minutes to see them. She looked around at the interior of the building before allowing Mairin to pull her further in.

"Wow, it's huge!" Mairin stopped in front of a large hologram of Earth that was being projected from some device on the level below the one they stood on. She glanced over the railing, only to spot several workers moving about down there. The approaching aura of Lysandre could be felt, and she waited until he showed up to finally move away from the railing she had bent over.

"Lysandre!" Mairin ran over to him, effectively making Kagome follow her path when she tugged her by her hand. "Is Alain here?"

Lysandre crouched down so he could be on Mairin's level. "He is, but he is battling right now," he told her. Next, he looked at Kagome with a curious light in his eyes. "Oh? And have you come to see Alain, too?" he asked her. "I see he's quite popular."

Eevee's fur bristled, and Kagome hurried to snatch her from Mairin's shoulder before she could lunge at the massive man- despite wanting to let her tackle him full force. She held Eva against her chest and shook her head. "It'd be nice to see him, but I'm here for another reason right now." With those words, she flicked her gaze over to Steven, silently letting him know her business was the same as his without saying it.

"Would it be okay if I went to watch Alain battle?" Mairin asked Lysandre, and a wide smile broke out across her face when he nodded.

"Go ahead."

Mairin glanced at the three who had come with her. "Are you coming?"

"Not right now," Kagome shook her head before turning to Shippo. "You can go if you'd like." There was a small hint of urging in her voice, and he very quickly got her message.

" _ **Go with Mairin to make sure she's safe while here."**_

"Sure!" Shippo ginned up at Kagome, effectively ignoring Lysandre, who had yet to even learn who he was, without a glimmer of shame as he reached to take Mairin by her wrist. "Let's go, Mairin!"

"Okay!"

She let him tug her down the halls, seconds after hearing Lysandre tell them the direction they needed to take. His Vulpix barreled after him and Mairin.

Once they were out of sight, she finally turned around to face the two still present with her. She offered Lysandre an apologetic, though a bit forced to make it look that way, smile. "Oh! Sorry, that's Shippo. He's a friend of mine," she said. She watched his reaction close, looking for anything that would seem odd, but she found nothing. Instead, he smiled at her.

"He's lively, hm?" he said then.

"Yeah." Her tone was blunt as she stepped closer to Steven. She wasn't sure if her displeasure was picked up on by either of them, but Eva noticed, and she nuzzled against her. Kagome hid a sigh behind Eva's fur, and she let her climb up onto her shoulder- wondering if it'd be so bad to let her tackle Lysandre after all.

"You two are here about the Megalith, aren't you?" Lysandre seemed to have been aware of the possibility they'd come to see him following their time against Kyogre and Groudon.

"That's correct," Steven said, speaking for the both of them in his answer to Lysandre's question. Following that, the large man willingly led them to the room where it was kept. She followed at the back, keeping her senses open to anything that struck her as odd.

There was something she could feel somewhere deep in this building, but she had no idea what it was. It bore a strange aura, and whatever it was, it felt rather strong. Her frown felt as if it was permanently etched into her face when she was pulled from her own thoughts. They had stepped into a room where a familiar rock was held in protective casing.

To her surprise, she couldn't feel the aura of the Megalith. The case around it kept its aura trapped inside it.

But… that meant she couldn't find out what she needed to know, and that was if any of her energy remained behind with the Megalith.

"We've put up a barrier around the Megalith to keep any disasters like the one that occurred earlier from happening again," Lysandre explained, holding a hand up to motion to the glittering stone. "It prevents the aura of it from leaking out."

Kagome stepped forward a few paces and folded her arms across her chest. She had to refrain from confirming his words for Steven. "It's pretty impressive," she finally said, swallowing her pride and offering him some praise on the artificial barrier he had created.

* * *

They had been watching Alain's battles for some time now. Shippo leaned against the railing with Vulpix sitting over his shoulder, glancing down at the battlefield with him, Mairin, and her Chespin. When she saw the chance, Mairin separated from him and ran down to meet Alain. He contemplated a for a moment or two whether to go down there, as well, but he soon decided not to.

He took advantage of Mairin running off, and he decided to leave the place he stood in. He slinked away without getting noticed, not even by the man wearing a dark suit standing near the door.

He didn't know where he was going, but he wasn't bothered by it.

Shippo made his way down the hall on quiet feet, feet so quiet and careful that they could only ever belong to a fox demon. He used his keen hearing to listen for anyone coming his way, and he crept further down the halls, exploring ground meant to be off-limits as if it were a playground for him.

* * *

It was sometime later when she finally went to find Alain. It was easy enough, even if she hadn't gotten directions before leaving. She followed his aura to a battle arena, slowing her pace a bit when she noticed neither Mairin or Shippo there. Where had they gone off to?

Well… she figured Shippo had up and snuck off to snoop around the place, but what about Mairin? She had been focused on seeing Alain again.

Kagome shook the thoughts of the two from her mind as she closed the distance from her to Alain.

"Alain!"

He turned at hearing her call his name. There was a startled expression on his face, and she grinned up at him when she came to a halt.

"What are you doing here?"

She glanced off to the side, thinking silently on an answer. She decided on a simple lie. "I'm still helping Steven for the time being," she said. "Though I heard you were battling, and I didn't want to pass up the chance to come see you!"

She looked from him to his Charizard before leveling her attention back on him for the moment. "You and Charizard have such a great bond already. I'm curious how much stronger it can get."

Charizard gave a rumble of happiness at her words, and she smiled broader.

"Thanks," Alain responded, his own smile lighting up his face. "How are you? You got hurt during the fight against Groudon and Kyogre."

"Oh!" Kagome jumped a bit at the question, and she glanced at her arms. Her wounds had healed without any evidence they had been there. "I'm doing okay," she said finally. "I'm a quick healer, so there's no reason to get hung up on it."

"You need to be more careful," he said then. The serious tone in his voice made her glance back up at him. Confusion lit up her eyes. "You are the most reckless person that I've ever met."

"I know what my body can handle, and, while it may not look like it, but I'm a careful person when it counts," Kagome said with a laugh. "I'm not gonna deny the reckless part," she added on, "you're right on that one."

Alain sighed and looked away from her, turning back to face Charizard. It was silent then until she broke it after a couple of seconds.

"So, where did Mairin run off to?" she asked. "She wanted to see you."

"I told her that I didn't want her to keep following after me," he said. "She'll end up getting in the way, or getting hurt again, and I can't become stronger if she's clinging to me."

"Ah…" Kagome nodded as those words sunk in. She was able to figure out the rest without having to hear it. A second later she rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, prepared to go find Mairin. "Would it kill you to just admit to her you care about her?" she asked bluntly, and she could feel the glare he pointed at her back. "I don't know if it's so obvious to others, but it is to me." Kagome held her hands up and turned after a few steps. "Geeze- enough with the glaring," she sighed before smiling and waving. "Good luck with your battles!" she called before dashing off to find the girl.

She came to a halt once stepping out of his line of sight, digging around until she found a certain pokeball. She called out the Pokemon inside it. She put her pokeball back in its place before looking at her Pokemon.

"Zova," she said, her words catching her Zoroark's attention. She looked at her and waited for the demand. "Go find Shippo for me," she told her. She didn't want him running around this place without her for too long.

Zoroark let out a low rumble before turning and chasing after the sneaking fox demon. With that handled, Kagome turned and went off in search of Mairin.

* * *

After a little bit of searching, she managed to find her hiding in the stairwell, curled up and sobbing into her arms. A soft smile appeared on Kagome's face as she went to join her on the step she sat on.

It was quiet on her end as her sniffles died down. She eventually looked up and glanced at her. "Kagome? What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you and make sure you were okay," she said. Mairin was quiet for a moment before she abruptly wrapped her arms around the older girl in a tight hug. She felt Eevee nuzzle her other side before pulling back from the hug.

Kagome looked around after a minute, noticing the lacking presence of Mairin's companion. "Where's Chespie?" she asked when she couldn't find him.

Mairin looked down before pushing herself up. "He must have run off when I asked to be alone…" There was a hint of worry in her voice as she said those words, and Kagome put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll help you find him."

"Thanks, Kagome," she said.

Together, the two of them stepped out into the hallway in search of Mairin's Chespin.

"Let's look this way first," Kagome said, pulling Mairin down a path. She could feel Chepsin's aura that way. She was glad when Mairin agreed with the idea and began following her.

After searching the hall for about ten minutes or so, the Pokemon they were looking for finally appeared. He was out cold and glowing a faint greenish color. Mairin pulled away from Kagome and ran over to the people carrying him off on a gurney.

"Wait, wait!" she shouted, diving between the two people to get to Chespin's side. "What'd you do to Chespie?"

"Get out of the way. We're in a hurry."

"No!  _You_  get out of the way," she snapped back at the man who tried to push her from his path. She picked Chespin up, backing away when the two tried to stop her.

Kagome stepped between them and her, sending an icy glare their way when they tried to reach for Chespin and Mairin. "Do not," she said, her voice warning them of what might happen, should they reach for either of them again.

"Kagome! Mairin!"

Kagome turned her head in the direction of the voice, and she spotted Steven running towards them.

"Steven! Something's wrong with Chespie!" Mairin ran over to him, Kagome keeping the two strangers at arm's length as she did so.

Chespin was taken to a medical room, where Nurse Joy evaluated him for anything that might be wrong. Kagome stood next to Mairin as she watched her work in the room.

She didn't know what was wrong with Chespin, but she could feel something awful around him. It almost burned her senses.

Kagome rested a hand on Mairin's shoulder and let her hold tight to her. When Nurse Joy came out, the news received wasn't good.

"Chespin is in a comatose state, but I can't seem to figure out why it's in one," she said, looking at Mairin. "I'm sorry."

A new figure appearing stole Kagome's attention, and she realized it to be the man they had called following their arrival in Kalos- the Pokemon Professor Augustine Sycamore.

He stopped a few paces away from them. "Mairin, what happened?" he asked her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder so she'd look up at him.

"I… I don't know," she said as she wiped tears out of her eyes, only for more to soon replace them.

"For now, Chespin will be kept at Lysandre Labs so we can observe his condition," Lysandre said, finally joining them. "There is no better facility than ours."

Kagome frowned at the appearance of him. She knew there was something more. She couldn't shake that feeling. When she saw Shippo finally reappearing from down the hall, walking alongside her Zoroark and his Vulpix, she could tell that he had found out something. His expression told her all.

Shippo stopped next to her and curled his arms around her side as he glared at Lysandre. The interaction went on ignored as the conversation continued.

* * *

Despite not wanting to leave Mairin, Kagome had other things she needed to do. She bid Steven a farewell before doing the same to Professor Sycamore and Mairin.

She paused for a minute, attempting to seek out Alain's aura- if he was even still there. She managed to feel it not far from where she was, and she turned to Shippo.

"I'll be back soon," she said. The things Shippo had told her about this place were fresh in her mind, and she wasn't about to leave without warning Alain, at least. She still didn't have enough evidence to solidify her belief, but she  _knew_  there was something there.

She didn't care if she didn't have any logical evidence to back up her claims- she couldn't let him continue to blindly work for Lysandre. He was up to something awful, and it was likely Alain was a pawn in it.

With a little bit of running on her part, she managed to catch up with Alain before he could get too far gone. "Alain!" Kagome gripped him by his wrist and tugged him to a stop.

"You shouldn't work for Lysandre," she said, her tone turning to one flooded with caution. "He isn't what he seems."

"What are you talking about?"

There was an edge in his voice, and she knew that was when she ought to have let it drop. She was stubborn, and she refused to, however, and she stepped a bit closer.

"He's up to something awful," Kagome said then. "I know it might not seem that way, but please trust me. I-!"

"What the hell do you know?! Just mind your own business!"

She was surprised when he snapped at her, and her grip on his wrist loosened enough for it to slip out of her hold.

In reality, what had she been expecting? Kagome lowered her attention to the ground, unable to meet his stare when he turned to face her. She had prepared herself for several reactions, even this one, so why had it stung so much? For some reason, hearing Alain's anger directed at her hurt much worse than any of Inuyasha's scathing remarks in the past.

Upon seeing her crestfallen expression directed at her shoes, he felt bad for yelling at her. He was about to say something more, only for her to beat him to it.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I just…" She didn't want things to go bad. She didn't want him to end up blaming himself if he did end up being a puppet for Lysandre's deeds. She didn't want him to shoulder that sort of guilt.

"Kagome, I-"

"I won't bother you again," she said, cutting him off before he could say much of anything. She didn't want to risk saying something she shouldn't. Kagome backed up a few steps before turning on her heel and escaping from the area by heading back the direction she had come from.

She didn't know if he tried to follow after her, and she didn't wait around to find out. As soon as she got back to Shippo, the two of them climbed atop Cheri's back, and they set off.

"Mother…?" Shippo spoke up after several minutes of undisturbed silence on Kagome's part. She seemed upset over something, and it worried him. "How'd it go?"

"In a way I thought it would go," she said as she glanced up at the sky. "But that doesn't matter. I'll keep doing what I decided on doing," she added on as an afterthought.

She wasn't upset by how Alain had responded to her claims, and she was still as fond of him as she had been before. But… she would make true to her promise.

She'd refrain from bothering Alain, but she'd keep on eye on Lysandre.

And that would be for the best.


	7. Chapter 6

Weeks flew by, and, before she could even realize it, almost two months had passed by. She had been sticking to her promise of observing Lysandre and keeping watch of his actions. Sesshoumaru was a massive help with it, as well. He could keep so many more tabs on the man than she could.

Although… she was beginning to realize that it was much harder than expected to abide by her promise. She was finding it harder and harder to keep from bothering Alain. There was so much more that she wanted to say to him now, but she couldn't bring herself to face him following their last few minutes with one another. Especially since she still had no solid proof to back up her claims. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't just ask him to blindly believe her.

A soft sigh came from her as she turned back to the soup she was fixing. Not far off, she could feel Shippo's aura as he ran about, playing with some of their Pokemon, waiting for lunch to be ready. She lifted a spoon to her mouth to give it a taste-test. It tasted good, and she gave a content hum.

"Almost ready~!" she sang as she added a pinch more pepper to the mix. As she turned away from the still-cooking soup, she reached into her bag and pulled out a basket. She popped the lid off to reveal an array of colorful macarons. She took one out, setting the rest on the table, before turning back to the soup as she munched on her cookie.

However, when she glanced back over her shoulder, she noticed the basket of macarons to be gone. She circled around the set-up table curiously, only to hear the faint sound of crunching coming from behind a large rock. Kagome approached it and carefully peered behind, only to find the thief of the cookies.

A Chespin, of all things.

She crouched down in front of it with a small smile on her face.

"Hello," she spoke, her voice catching its attention. Chespin jumped and paused mid-bite. Before she could say anything else, a group of people running into the area stole her attention. Kagome stood up at hearing them call around for a Chespin.

She picked the Chespin up- cookies and all- before walking over to the group. "Could this be the Chespin you're looking for?" she asked, beckoning their attention to the Pokemon held in her arms.

"Ah, yes!" The blonde boy with glasses let out a sigh of relief at seeing Chespin safe. A second later, he noticed the cookies and he let out a louder sigh. "I'm so sorry," he said, looking at her. "Chespin has quite the sweet tooth."

Kagome laughed, "it's okay!" It really was, as she had more prepared. "I was just surprised with they disappeared."

She handed the Chespin to them, keeping the basket in her arms even as it reached for them.

"How many times have I told you…" he scolded the Chespin. "Don't take things that aren't yours."

She watched them for a minute or two before shaking her head. The sudden appearance of a Chespin made her thoughts shift to Mairin and her Chespin back at Lysandre Labs. Though she had recently checked in with her, she was still worried for the both of them.

"I'm Kagome," she spoke abruptly, calling their attention back to her. "Who are you?" Her question was all it took for them to introduce themselves to her.

"I'm Ash," a boy with a yellow Pokemon on his shoulder said as he held a hand out for her to take. She took it and shook his hand as he tilted his head in the direction of the creature. "This is my partner Pikachu."

"My name's Serena," the older girl of the group spoke next, waving and offering her a smile. "It's nice to meet you!"

"I'm Clemont, and this is my younger sister, Bonnie," the trainer of the run-away Chespin said. "Sorry again for Chespin's actions."

Kagome laughed, "it's okay, really."

"Oh, wow!" Bonnie rushed up to her, darting away from her brother to stand across from her. "What a keeper!" she blurted out, much to Kagome's confusion. "Will you please take care of my big brother?"

She felt the confusion twist onto her face at those words. Had she heard this girl right? Just as she was about to manage a response, Bonnie was snatched away by her brother, who then went onto scold her. Kagome felt her shoulders shake as she started to laugh at the entire situation.

That was the last thing she had expected to hear, but it did well to boost her spirits following her previous thoughts of Alain.

She reeled her laughter back under control and rubbed her eyes to wipe away the presence of amusement-born moisture.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said then. There was a faint sound of footsteps, and she was soon joined by Shippo and the Pokemon of theirs he had with him. She turned and smiled at him. "I was just about to call for you," she said.

Shippo, having heard Kagome's laughter, had gotten curious and come to find his mother, only to spot the group of strangers with her. He stood at her side, linking an arm with hers as he set his head against her shoulder.

"Oh, this is Shippo!" she took the chance to introduce him to the others, and she soon filled him in on their name's as well.

He greeted them with a lazy wave before looking at Kagome. "Is lunch ready yet?" he asked.

Kagome nodded and beamed brightly. "Yup!" She turned to face the newcomers. "There's plenty of it, too, if you wanna join us," she offered.

"That sounds awesome, thanks!" Ash said, accepting her offer for the group. Kagome felt her smile widen as she called out the rest of her Pokemon companions so they could eat, as well.

They all crowded together, except for one that lounged and soaked in the water a few paces away from where the picnic site was set up. Her Milotic's tail flicked up some of the water as she splashed around.

As food got served to them all, they settled together and chowed down. Simple conversation was kept up between them as they ate.

Kagome tried to stay focused, but she found her thoughts drifting back to her earlier concerns. A frown tilted her lips downward as she stared at her food.

"This is really good!" Serena praised. Her words were soon followed by a faint echo of agreement from the others with her.

The sudden words made her jolt up and out of her thoughts.

"Thank you," Kagome responded with a bright smile. "I learned the recipe from my mom," she said then. She refrained from talking about having to severely modify it for other ingredients since some of the ingredients the recipe called for did not exist in this world.

Shippo easily noticed her distracted tone, and he glanced her way with a gleam of worry reflecting in his aqua eyes. He frowned and looked down.

He knew what she was thinking about- or more so, who she was thinking about. Among her worries of Mairin and Chespin's well being, she also dwelled on Alain and how she could help him before she lost her chance.

He didn't know what happened the last time she spoke to him, but judging by her reaction, it had stung her a bit. For that, he did resent Alain somewhat. She told him not to, saying that she should have been more tactful about the way she went through with her intentions, but that did nothing to stop his anger at the guy.

* * *

 

It had been some time since he had seen her last, but their last interaction was still vivid in his mind. Alain wasn't sure if it was just due to her schedule, or if she was actually sticking to her last words of not bothering him again. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit- not knowing.

He had attempted to follow her so he could apologize for snapping at her as he had, but she was faster than him. She was out of sight before he could even realize what had happened, and out of the area before he could reach her.

The memory of how sad she had looked honestly hurt him, even more so when he remembered how she could smile even when she was physically hurt.  _He_  had made her look that way, and it made him furious with himself.

He wasn't sure when, but somewhere along the path of knowing her, he had begun caring for her. Something about her made her impossible to forget even for a second. Maybe it was how reckless she was, or maybe it was something else. He couldn't be sure what it was, but he knew it was there.

"Maybe it's better if she stays away," he muttered under his breath. Maybe it was for the best if she stayed away from him. He couldn't say for sure, given her reckless nature, but it was likely she'd be a little bit safer that way.

He would find a way to make up for how he had treated her, but he couldn't now. Kagome and Mairin both, he'd make it up to them.

* * *

 

"Miss Kagome!"

A small pair of arms going around her hips took her by surprise all for a second before she let out a loud giggle. Kagome smiled and swept Rin up in a hug. "Rin! Oh, I've missed you so much!"

Kagome let her go some and set her hands on her shoulders. Rin beamed up at her, but Kagome soon found her attention drifting upwards at the man standing behind the young girl. Sesshoumaru greeted her with a nod, to which she returned with one of her own.

"I'm glad to see you, too," she said to him. And she was. He had been routinely checking in with her and relaying information on what Lysandre was up to. Considering everything they had learned, their entire group, it seemed like his plan would get set into motion very soon.

They stood at the entrance gates of where the Kalos League was being held. Before anything could get said, an arm was slung over her shoulder. She jerked some, but a warm smile lit up her face upon realizing who it was.

"Inuyasha!" She let out an excited gasp before jumping some to wrap both arms around him in a lengthy hug. He returned it with vigor, lifting her from the ground and crushing her against his chest.

When he set her back down, she carefully reached up to fix the hat he wore back into place to keep it from falling and exposing his puppy ears.

"No hug for me?" A cheerful voice caused her to turn, and she arched an eyebrow.

"Better keep that hand from wandering," she cautioned before giving him a hug full of just as much warmth as she had given Rin and Inuyasha.

Miroku chuckled, "I'd never dare. Sango's the only woman for me." True to his word, the only movement of his hand was a gentle pat between her shoulder blades. When they parted, a familiar brunette stole her away.

"It's good we're all together again," Sango said, smiling as she looked around. It had been a long time since they had last gotten together again.

"I just wish it was over better circumstances," Sesshoumaru said. He was answered with a quiet rumble of agreement from the rest.

"So what's the plan?" Inuyasha asked. "Just wait around for this shit to start?"

"There isn't anything else we can do," Kagome said with a shrug. She kept a protective grip on Shippo and Rin both as she thought of what was to come.

The idea of waiting for it wasn't a pleasant one to her, but it was all they could do.

They entered through the gates as a group, speaking among one another over several different things. Rin was talking her ear off about a number of things, but she found her attention slipping from the girl when an aura she hadn't felt in a while brushed along her senses. Her heart hammered noisily in her chest as she glanced around for Alain.

She met a pair of familiar blue eyes, and all of her thoughts faded from her brain. She wanted to wave to him and go check up on him, but she held herself back for the sake of sticking to her promise.

With a pained smile, forced and impossible to keep up, she turned away from Alain. A distraction came soon enough when Rin tugged her hand and skipped ahead with her.

Sango took instant notice of her friend's dispirited mood, and she searched around for the cause of it. When her gaze landed on Alain, a small smile appeared on her face. He noticed her, and she gave a quick wave.

She had been informed of Kagome's attempt of telling him of Lysandre's intention. That meant she knew very well of how it had concluded.

"I'll be back," she whispered to Miroku, and he hung back in order to wait for her to get back as she hurried over to Alain.

"Hey!" Sango called out as she reached him. "Long time no see, huh? It's nice to see you again, though!"

Alain nodded. "It's good to see you again, too."

Small talk hadn't been her intention. She made that perfectly clear when she opened her mouth next.

"I figured I should give you a heads up," Sango said as she glanced over her shoulder. "About Kagome…"

"... You don't have to."

She heard the heavy tone he spoke with, and she looked back at him. "No, I really have to," she said. "She's not mad or upset or anything like that. Kagome's just… she's stubborn. She's really stubborn, but, underneath that, she's understanding of a lot of things, and it takes a lot to break her now."

When he didn't say anything so far, she sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"What I want to say is, she won't be the one to reach out. Especially if she decided to keep her distance." Sango looked again, and realized her companions, save for Miroku, had already gone out of sight. "I gotta get going," she said, "before I lose them completely."

She waved one last time before rushing off to return to Miroku's side, and the two of them went off to find the others they had been with.

Alain watched as she rushed off, letting her words sink in. Despite doing so, they did little to change his mind.

* * *

"I can't wait to watch Alain's battles!" Mairin said as she glanced over her shoulder at the large man a few paces behind her. Lysandre smiled at her, and she soon dashed ahead a bit more.

As she did so, one of his workers stepped up to him. "The readings indicate that she is here."

"Good." Lysandre stepped away from him following hearing that information, and he went to follow after Mairin.

As he walked, his mind shifted to the  _she_  in question. The raven-haired companion of Steven; Kagome.

She had stirred his interest some time ago, following the capture of the Megalith. A secondary source of powerful energy was detected, and the only one who could be at hand for it was her.

She and she alone had gotten close enough to it to leave an imprint along it.

When she paid a visit to Lysandre Labs, he had obtained a sample of her unique energy without her realizing it due to her focus on the Megalith. It matched flawlessly.

Furthermore, she was here. That only left one last piece.

She needed to come with him.


End file.
